Terrace House

Status: COMPLETE

A new 4,700 sq ft 5 bedroom, 5.5 bathroom single family detached residence on a steeply sloped lot. It is comprised of 3 stories and cellar with an attached two car garage.

Located on a steeply sloped lot in a traditional Washington DC neighborhood, this project presented several design and construction challenges. The elevation difference between the front and rear of the house is approximately 20'. As a result the cellar level is fully exposed at the driveway area, the rear of the home at the 1st floor is mostly below grade.

In order to mitigate the grade difference, the home was broken up into a series of volumes that gradually step up the hill. The main level has two different elevations, with the living room, the farthest protruding volume of the house, situated down about 2' from the remainder of the first floor. This strategic move gives the living room taller ceilings, greater spatial hierarchy, as it makes it the clear destination on that level, and allows occupants to perch over the neighborhood and surrounding views from a privileged position. Expansive glazing reinforces the hierarchy of that space.

The second floor is occupied primarily by bedrooms. In addition, it expands onto a roof deck over the living room volume, creating the outdoor equivalent of the living room function at a slightly higher elevation.

On the third floor, an office/lounge space is the culmination of the interior sequence, providing breathtaking views over the neighborhood and Rock Creek Park nearby.

See blog entry about this project here.

Services provided: Site plan, Architectural Design, coordination of Civil, Structural, MEP Engineering Design, Lighting Design, HPRB Approval Procurement, Visualization, Permit Procurement, Construction Contract Administration.

CREDITS

Architecture: ARCHI-TEXTUAL, PLLC Team: Catarina Ferreira, AIA, Chiara Melucci, Guido Soares

Developer: Kadida Development Group

Civil: CAS Engineering

Structural: BEL Engineering

MEP: KK Engineering

Interiors: Bandura Design

Photography: Anice Hoachlander